March Madness Upset: McNeese Shocks Clemson in Historic NCAA Win

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (103.3 The GOAT) – March Madness lived up to its name Thursday as 12-seed McNeese stunned 5-seed Clemson, 69-67, in a dramatic first-round upset that will be remembered in Lake Charles for years to come.

The Cowboys, champions of the Southland Conference, jumped out to a commanding first-half lead, weathered a furious Clemson comeback, and made just enough plays down the stretch to secure their first-ever NCAA Tournament win.

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McNeese Stuns Clemson with Red-Hot Start

From the opening tip, McNeese looked nothing like an underdog. The Cowboys came out with relentless energy, playing aggressive defense and forcing Clemson into early mistakes.

By halftime, McNeese led 31-13, holding Clemson to one of its worst shooting halves of the season. Christian Shumate, a force on the boards all night, dominated the paint while Quadir Copeland and Brandon Murray led the Cowboys' offense.

Clemson, which entered the game as a 7.5-point favorite, looked completely overwhelmed. The Tigers shot just 21.1 percent from three-point range (4-of-19) and 36.8 percent from the field.

Clemson’s Furious Rally Falls Short

But Clemson wasn’t going down without a fight.

The Tigers exploded in the second half, outscoring McNeese 54-38 and nearly completing the comeback. Jaeden Zackery (24 points) and Chase Hunter (21 points) carried Clemson’s offense, cutting the lead to single digits with five minutes to play.

With under a minute left, Clemson had a chance to steal the win, but McNeese’s defense held firm. Clutch free throws from Javohn Garcia and Quadir Copeland sealed the victory as the Cowboys held off the Tigers’ last-gasp three-point attempts.

Stat Leaders and Key Performances

• Quadir Copeland (McNeese): 16 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists
• Christian Shumate (McNeese): 13 points, 11 rebounds, 2 blocks
• Brandon Murray (McNeese): 12 points, 4 assists, clutch late-game buckets
• Jaeden Zackery (Clemson): 24 points, 4 rebounds
• Chase Hunter (Clemson): 21 points, 9-of-10 free throws

As a team, McNeese shot 43.5 percent from the field compared to Clemson’s 36.8 percent, and the Cowboys won the rebounding battle 43-36—a key factor in controlling the game’s pace.

History Made in Lake Charles

For McNeese, this win is program history.

The Cowboys, playing in just their third NCAA Tournament, had never won a game on this stage. Now, they’re moving on to the second round—and with the way they played, they’re a team no one should take lightly.

A lot of folks who fill out NCAA tournament brackets seem to have done just that, however. Of 24 million brackets ESPN is tracking, only 1.4 million perfect brackets remain.

Clemson, on the other hand, heads home with a bitter first-round exit, failing to recover from their nightmarish first half.

McNeese now awaits its Round of 32 opponent, but one thing is clear: the Cowboys aren’t just happy to be here—they’re here to make noise.